Amended in Assembly April 21, 2014

Amended in Assembly March 24, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2282

Introduced by Assembly Member Gatto

February 21, 2014

An act to add Sections 17921.5 and 18940.6 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to building standards.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2282, as amended, Gatto. Building standards: recycled water infrastructure.

The California Building Standards Law provides for the adoption of building standards by state agencies by requiring all state agencies that adopt or propose adoption of any building standard to submit the building standard to the California Building Standards Commission for approval and adoption. In the absence of a designated state agency, the commission is required to adopt specific building standards, as prescribed. Existing law requires the commission to publish, or cause to be published, editions of the code in its entirety once every 3 years. Existing law requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to propose the adoption, amendment, or repeal of building standards to the California Building Standards Commission and to adopt, amend, and repeal other rules and regulations for the protection of the public health, safety, and general welfare of the occupants and the public involving buildings and building construction.

This bill would require the Department of Housing and Community Development, in consultation with other designated entities, to conduct research to assist in the development of, and to propose the adoption, amendment, or repeal by the California Building Standards Commission, of mandatory building standards for the installation of begin delete future end delete recycled water infrastructure for begin insert newly constructed end insert single-family and multifamily residential buildings. The bill would authorize the department to expend funds from the existing Building Standards Administration Special Revolving Fund for this purpose upon appropriation. The bill would require the department to limit the mandate to install recycled water piping to areas within a local jurisdiction that meet specified conditions, and to consider whether a service area plans to provide begin delete direct end delete potable water prior to mandating the use of recycled water piping. This bill would require the State Building Standards Commission to undertake identical research and activities with respect to development of mandatory green building standards for the installation of begin delete future end delete recycled water infrastructure for begin insert newly constructed end insert commercial and public buildings.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 17921.5 is added to the Health and Safety
Code, to read:

17921.5.  

(a) (1) The department shall conduct research to
assist in the development of mandatory building standards for the
installation of begin delete future end delete recycled water infrastructure for begin insert newly
constructed end insert single-family and multifamily residential buildings.
In conducting this research, the department shall actively consult
with the State Water Resources Control Board and other interested
parties, including, but not limited to, local water utility companies,
product manufacturers, local building officials, apartment owners,
certified contractors, and the building industry.

(2) In researching, developing, and proposing mandatory
building standards under this section, the department may expend
funds from the Building Standards Administration Special
Revolving Fund upon appropriation pursuant to Section 18931.7.

(3) Research conducted in order to propose building standards
pursuant to this section shall include, but is not limited to, the
following:

(A) Potential outdoor applications for recycled water, including
drip and sprinkler irrigation and use in certain aesthetic water
features.

(B) Potential indoor applications for recycled water, including
use in toilets, washing machines, or both. With respect to indoor
applications, the department shall consider whether to adopt or
recommend begin delete natures end delete begin insert measures end insert to ensure that indoor recycled water
piping is safely installed, including, but not limited to, requiring
special markings on recycled water piping that states clearly
whether it is approved for indoor use, or recommending restrictions
on who may purchase or install recycled water piping for indoor
use.

(C) The cost of various recycled water systems and
infrastructure.

(D) The estimated quantity of water savings under varying levels
of application of recycled water in residential buildings and
adjacent landscaping.

(b) (1) The department shall propose the adoption, amendment,
or repeal by the California Building Standards Commission
pursuant to Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 18935) of Part
2.5, of mandatory building standards for the installation of future
recycled water infrastructure for single-family residential and
multifamily residential buildings. The department shall submit
these proposed mandatory building standards to the commission
for consideration in the next regularly scheduled Intervening Code
Cycle adopted after January 1, 2017.

(2) When developing the application provisions for the
mandatory building standards, the department shall limit the
mandate to install recycled water piping to only those areas within
a local jurisdiction that have feasible and cost-efficient access to
a water recycling facility, or that have been identified by the local
jurisdictions residing within a planned service area for the provision
of recycled water for which a specific implementation timeline
has been identified.

(3) The department shall consider whether a service area plans
to provide begin delete direct end delete potable water prior to mandating the use of
recycled water piping.

begin insert

(4) In developing the building standards required under
paragraph (1), the department shall consider the definition for
recycled water as established in Section 60301 of Title 22 of the
California Code of Regulations.

end insert

SEC. 2.  

Section 18940.6 is added to the Health and Safety
Code, to read:

18940.6.  

(a) (1) The California Building Standards
Commission shall conduct research to assist in the development
of mandatory green building standards for the installation of begin delete future end delete
recycled water infrastructure for begin insert newly constructed end insert commercial
and public buildings. In conducting this research, the commission
shall actively consult with the State Water Resources Control
Board and other interested parties, including, but not limited to,
local water utility companies, product manufacturers, local building
officials, apartment owners, certified contractors, and the building
industry.

(2) In researching, developing, and proposing mandatory
building standards under this section, the commission may expend
funds from the Building Standards Administration Special
Revolving Fund upon appropriation pursuant to Section 18931.7.

(3) Research conducted in order to propose building standards
pursuant to this section shall include, but is not limited to, the
following:

(A) Potential outdoor applications for recycled water, including
drip and sprinkler irrigation and use in certain aesthetic water
features.

(B) Potential indoor applications for recycled water, including
use in toilets, washing machines, or both. With respect to indoor
applications, the commission shall consider whether to adopt or
recommend measures to ensure that indoor recycled water piping
is safely installed, including, but not limited to, requiring special
markings on recycled water piping that states clearly whether it is
approved for indoor use, or recommending restrictions on who
may purchase or install recycled water piping for indoor use.

(C) The cost of various recycled water systems and
infrastructure.

(D) The estimated quantity of water savings under varying levels
of application of recycled water in commercial and public buildings
and adjacent landscaping.

(b) (1) The Building Standards Commission shall develop and
adopt mandatory building standards for the installation of future
recycled water infrastructure for commercial and public buildings
in the next regularly scheduled Intervening Code Cycle adopted
after January 1, 2017.

(2) When developing the application provisions for the
mandatory building standards, the commission shall limit the
mandate to install recycled water piping to only those areas within
a local jurisdiction that have feasible and cost-efficient access to
a water recycling facility, or that have been identified by the local
jurisdictions residing within a planned service area for the provision
of recycled water for which a specific implementation timeline
has been identified.

(3) The commission shall consider whether a service area plans
to provide begin delete direct end delete potable water prior to mandating the use of
recycled water piping.

begin insert

(4) In developing the building standards required under
paragraph (1), the department shall consider the definition for
recycled water as established in Section 60301 of Title 22 of the
California Code of Regulations.

end insert